Method and system for propogating points of presence over a computer network

ABSTRACT

This invention proposes a system which supports controlled recursive propagation of points of presence on connected networks, where the network is the internet, and the points of presence are functional or informational banners hosted by websites and displayable on HTML, javascript and/or java enabled browsers. In addition the points of presence support informational of functional communication between a plurality of designated origin servers and the points of presence. This allows data on the use, location, and other characteristics of the interaction between the user and the points of presence to be captured, transmitted, aggregated, stored, and/or manipulated as necessary. The said communication also allows the implementation of access permissions, registrations, or other forms of control. Similar data and communication is supported for the websites hosting the points of presence. This allows the data and the communication to be leveraged for any required purpose including not limited to incentive schemes and rewards.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a method for propagating points ofpresence over a computer network. The invention relates particularly butnot exclusively to a method of controlling the propagation of points ofpresence over a computer network such as the Internet.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A point of presence is a set of programming codes that provide a displayof specific information at a particular point. Common examples of pointsof presence are banner advertisements, search buttons and banner games.

The function of these points of presence is to implicitly or explicitlyraise awareness of the information presented or the function served bythe point of presence. Points of presence are formed in an attempt toinduce the user to make use of the information presented or to use thefunctionality that is made available by the point. For example, wherethe point of presence is a banner advertisement the ultimate aim is toentice users to click on the banner and follow it through to the sitebeing advertised. Where the point of presence is a search engine theultimate aim is to ensure that users use the engine as their preferredsearching tool.

One measure of the worth of a point of presence is the number of userswho are exposed to the point through reading, viewing or usage. Thehigher the exposure the more valuable the point becomes. Downloading thepoint of presence onto various sites helps in exposing the point ofpresence to additional traffic and consequently boosting exposure withthe prospect of attracting further users who may read, view or use it.

A webmaster who has a large site may wish to make a search engineavailable to users of the site. As an alternative to programming his/herown search engine into the site the webmaster may choose the option ofinstalling a functional point of presence in the form of a searchengine. This type of point of presence will typically be branded withthe point of presence logo to advertise the origin of the point ofpresence in addition to providing functionality as a search tool. Thisprovides the webmaster with functionality on his/her site whileproviding the point of presence with further exposure throughpropagation.

Current systems of propagation rely on direct propagation, that ispropagation directly from the original point of presence. Where aWebmaster wishes to propagate the point of presence he/she must followlinks back to the original host site to download the point of presence.Accordingly, only users who visit the original host site can propagatethe point of presence. This method of propagation provides a limitedone-level recursion dependant on the flow traffic to the original pointof presence. A problem arises where the original point of presence andother points hosting the point have low traffic levels. In thissituation there is no real ability to leverage traffic from related oraffiliated sites to increase propagation of the point of presence.

Control is also an important aspect in the propagation of points ofpresence. There is typically no control over the propagation andaccordingly the original site has little knowledge of where the pointhas propagated and little or no control over when it propagates. Anexample of this is a non-web based environment, such as electronic mail,where a chain electronic mail is propagated. These can be propagatedwith little control and continue to propagate for years after they arefirst distributed. In these situations the original point haseffectively lost control of who sends and receives the electronic mail.There is also no method of determining where the mail has beenpropagated.

The object of the present invention is to address some or all of thedisadvantages present in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method ofpropagating points of presence over a computer network, including thesteps of:

-   -   (a) locating an origin point on the computer network, the origin        point providing an initial location of the point of presence;    -   (b) transferring between the origin point and one or more host        points installation information which allows for installation of        the point of presence at the host point;    -   (c) installing the point of presence at one or more host points;    -   (d) designating one or more of the host points as node host        points, being host points which can receive a request to        propagate the point of presence;    -   (e) one of the node host points receiving a request to propagate        the point of presence from a prospective host point;    -   (f) upon receipt of the request to propagate the node host point        informing the origin point of the request to propagate;    -   (g) the installation information being transferred to the        prospective host point allowing for the installation of the        point of presence at the prospective host point to create a        further host point.

The installation information can be transferred from the node host pointto the prospective host point. The installation information may also betransferred from the origin point to the prospective host point.

Preferably, an authorisation is required from the origin point beforethe installation information is transferred to the prospective hostpoint.

In a further preferred form, information including any one or more ofthe following is transferred to the origin point by the node host point:

-   -   (a) information pertaining to the prospective host point;    -   (b) circumstances existing at the time transfer, and    -   (c) information regarding the point of presence.

The origin point may also contact the prospective host point to requestfurther information. Payment may be received for propagation of thepoint of origin; in this case the origin point may contact theprospective host point to request payment for propagation of the pointof presence. Specific information may also be transferred from one ormore of the host points to the origin point upon fulfillment of one ormore predetermined conditions.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a propagated system of pointsof presence located on a computer network, including the followingcomponents:

-   -   (a) an origin point, being an initial location of the point of        presence;    -   (b) one or more host points, being locations other than the        origin point, which host the point of presence;    -   (c) one or more node host points, being host points which can        receive a request to propagate the point of presence;    -   (d) a relaying means for relaying information from the node host        point to the origin point when a request to propagate is        received at the node host point, the request being made by a        prospective point of presence; and    -   (e) a transferring means for transferring installation        information to a prospective point of presence which allows for        the prospective point of presence to receive information with        which to create a further host point of presence.

The transferring means may transfer the installation information fromthe node host point to the prospective host point. Alternatively, thetransfer means may transfer the installation information from the originpoint to the prospective host point.

Preferably, the system requires that an authorisation be obtained fromthe origin point before the transfer means operates to transfer theinstallation information.

In a further preferred form, the transfer means provides for transfer ofany one or more of the following types of information between the originpoint and the host point:

-   -   (a) information pertaining to the prospective host point;    -   (b) circumstances existing at the time of transfer; and    -   (c) information regarding the point of presence.

In a still further preferred form, the transfer means provides for thetransferring of information from one or more host points to the originpoint upon fulfillment of one or more predetermined conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail byreference to the attached drawing, which illustrates an example form ofthe invention. It is to be understood that the particularity of thedrawing does not supersede the generality of the preceding descriptionof the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing propagation of a point ofpresence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Where the computer network is the Internet a point of presence (POP) canbe functional or informational banners hosted by websites anddisplayable to user accessing the websites where the POP is installed.The POP can then be displayable in a variety of formats including onHTML, JavaScript and/or java enabled browsers.

A suitable method of propagation of a POP consists of downloading thecode comprising the POP. That code can then be installed in anotherwebsite forming a host POP. This system becomes recursive; that is, itallows further propagation, when a further POP is downloaded from a hostPOP. There is no need for the user who wishes to propagate to go back tothe origin point where the POP was initially provided for downloading.The user can interact with the host POP to effect the propagation. Whena request for propagation is made the origin point is informed. Thisallows for the origin to maintain a record of where each POP is located.The propagation can further be controlled by requiring authorisationfrom the origin point before the host can allow propagation of the POP.

The propagation of POP according to an embodiment of the invention isillustrated in FIG. 1. The origin point (100) is initially located onthe computer network. Installation information for the POP istransferred between the origin and the host points (111,112,113)allowing installation of the point of presence at these locations(111,112,113).

Host points can be provided which are classified according to whetherthere is further propagation allowed from that particular point. Where ahost point allows propagation, it is defined as a node host point. Wherethe host point does not allow further propagation then it is a host leafsite (117, 119, 120, 123, 125, 127, 128, 129). Both types of host pointsotherwise contain the full functionality of the point of presence.

A request to download a point of presence can be made and received at anode host point, whether from the initial node host point servers (111,112, 113) or from a node host point which has propagated from anothernode host point (114, 115,116, 118, 121, 122, 124, 126). Where a requestis made to a node host point, by a prospective point, for propagation tothat point a bi-directional connection, as shown by dotted lines, isestablished back to the origin point of presence (100). Thiscommunication between the node host point receiving the request and theorigin point may influence, amend, or otherwise control the downloadrequest.

Where the POP is transferred to another point then that point becomes ahost point. This results in a tree-like network of POPs with eachstarting with the origin point (100) and one or more initial node hostpoints (111, 112, 113).

The origin point (100) can be used to co-ordinate the spread of nodehost points by authorising the propagation of a POP and retrievinginformation from the POPs regarding their activity.

An advantage of the invention is that it promotes propagation of desiredPOPs by leveraging traffic from other websites. In particular, it allowspropagation of the POP through implicit or explicit relationships withother websites or hosts. There is no need to return to the origin todownload the POP.

A further advantage of the invention is that, in one form, the originwebsite can be used to track the characteristics and usage of the pointsof presence as they are propagated. This is in addition to the usualtracking of the characteristics and usage of the information orfunctions in the POP. The tracked information in both cases can includebut is not limited to data on the use, location, and othercharacteristics of the interaction between the user and the points ofpresence. After capture, the tracked information may be transmitted,aggregated, stored, and/or manipulated as necessary.

Another advantage of the invention is that it allows a system running onan origin point (which may be a website) to track and control thepropagation of the said points of presence from other website hosts. Thepoints of presence may support informational or functional communicationwith the origin website. Before the transfer of a point of presence froma given host, relevant information as to the circumstances of thedownload can be communicated from the host website to the originwebsite. The origin website may in turn communicate with the hostwebsite or prospective host website. The communication may include andis not limited to permission to propagate, requests for payment,requests for further information, denial of download and revocation ofthe host status of a host website. In at least one form, the originwebsite and the host website are the same.

The components according to an embodiment of the invention include a setof computer codes forming the point of presence. This set of code can bepart of a host website when executed by an HTML, JavaScript, and/or Javacapable browser. This can be displayed as a logical unit on that hostwebsite as a banner.

The code can be programmed to allow the POP code to be transported. Thisenables propagation to form a further host website. When a request toinitiate propagation is received at a node host site the information onpropagation is transferred to the origin point providing a record ofwhere the POP has propagated. The code may include functionality thatrequires an authorisation from the origin point before allowingtransport of the codes to a prospective host point.

EXAMPLE

The following example illustrates the present invention in furtherdetail. It is to be understood that the particularity of this exampleshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Consider a website such as SurfIP.com hosting a search banner on theirhome page. This search banner is a point of presence that can betransferred to other host points. A Webmaster for a site such asIPMenu.com who wishes to adopt the functionality of the search bannermay decide to adopt the POP for their site. The Webmaster will thenclick on the search banner which will lead him to the SurfIP site andaccordingly lead him to a dialogue which allows him to download theSurfIP search banner, being a POP, onto his internet page. When thewebmaster of IPMenu asks to download the search banner, a dialogue isinitiated with the SurfIP server where he has to register with SurfIP asan affiliate and to virtually sign a legal agreement with SurfIP.

If the search banner downloaded onto IPMenu is designated as a node hostsite then it can be further downloaded by another user. If a Webmasterfrom another site, such as Patent Cafe, desires to download the searchbanner from IPMenu then a dialogue will be initiated through the IPMenusite to the SurfIP site allowing the Webmaster to receive code toinstall the point of presence to forming another host site.

The search banner may be downloaded from the initial server (SurfIP) orfrom a node host point (IPMenu). While it is not necessary to go back tothe origin POP, a dialogue is established with the initial origin server(SurfIP) to control propagation of the banner.

While the present invention has been described by reference to a drawingand an example to illustrate preferred embodiments, it should be readilyapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that changes andmodifications in form and details may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

1. A method of propagating points of presence over a computer network,including the steps of: (a) locating an origin point on the computernetwork, the origin point providing an initial location of the point ofpresence; (b) transferring between the origin point and one or more hostpoints installation information which allows for installation of thepoint of presence at the host point; (c) installing the point ofpresence at one or more host points; (d) designating one or more of thehost points as node host points, being host points which can receive arequest to propagate the point of presence; (e) one of the node hostpoints receiving a request to propagate the point of presence from aprospective host point; (f) upon receipt of the request to propagate thenode host point informing the origin point of the request to propagate;(g) the installation information being transferred to the prospectivehost point allowing for the installation of the point of presence at theprospective host point to create a further host point.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the installation information is transferredfrom the node host point to the prospective host point.
 3. A methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the installation information is transferredfrom the origin point to the prospective host point.
 4. A methodaccording to any one of the preceding claims wherein an authorisation isrequired from the origin point before the installation information istransferred to the prospective host point.
 5. A method according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein information including any one ormore of the following is transferred to the origin point by the nodehost point: (a) information pertaining to the prospective host point;(b) circumstances existing at the time transfer; and (c) informationregarding the point of presence.
 6. A method according to any one of thepreceding claims wherein the origin point contacts the prospective hostpoint to request further information.
 7. A method according to any oneof the preceding claims wherein the origin contacts the prospective hostpoint to request payment for propagation of the point of presence.
 8. Amethod according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one or morehost points transfer predetermined information to the origin uponfulfillment of one or more predetermined conditions.
 9. A propagatedsystem of points of presence located on a computer network, includingthe following components: (a) an origin point, being an initial locationof the point of presence; (b) one or more host points, being locationsother than the origin point which host the point of presence; (c) one ormore node host points, being host points which can receive a request topropagate the point of presence; (d) a relaying means for relayinginformation from the node host point to the origin point when a requestto propagate is received at the node host point, the request being madeby a prospective point of presence; and (e) a transferring means fortransferring installation information to a prospective point of presencewhich allows for the prospective point of presence to receiveinformation with which to create a further host point of presence.
 10. Asystem according to claim 9 wherein the transferring means transfers theinstallation information from the node host point to the prospectivehost point.
 11. A system according to claim 9 wherein the transferringmeans transfers the installation information from the origin point tothe prospective host point.
 12. A system according to any one of claims9, 10 or 11 wherein the system requires that an authorisation beobtained from the origin point before the transfer means operates totransfer the installation information.
 13. A system according to any oneof claims 9 to 12 wherein transfer means can additionally transfer anyone or more of the following types of information between the originpoint and the host point: (a) information pertaining to the prospectivehost point; (b) circumstances existing at the time of transfer; and (c)information regarding the point of presence.
 15. A system according toany one of claims 9 to 14 wherein the transfer means can additionallytransfer information from one or more host points to the origin pointupon fulfillment of one or more predetermined conditions.